People watched the earth National Elemental Stone engrossed, be it from fear or shock. Some were too stunned to even react.
Zhuo Fan had braved against a thousand men alone and killed them by the score like a true demon god. It was long past the point where the houses' elders could stay calm.
Veiled Dragon Pavilion's Long Jiu was the most affected. Zhuo Fan's murder weapon was none other than the purple lightning from his eye.
Though the difference couldn't be bigger. Zhuo Fan's purple lightning was so strong he used it as armor and all he had to do was run into the enemy unchallenged. The enemy had no choice but to flee, unable to cope with such destructive force.
The lofty figure, filled with zeal in his indiscriminate killing made the viewers secretly cry out in excitement.
One particular crazed martial fanatic felt the opposite. Xie Tianshang had long been shuddering with fervor and fighting spirit.
Whoosh!
A light announced Chu Qingcheng's return, her face filled with grief. Grandmother rushed to her side in worry, "Qingcheng, what's wrong?"
"Nothing." Chu Qingcheng shook her head, "How is he?"
Grandmother sighed and turned to the veil, "See for yourself."
Chu Qingcheng caught Zhuo Fan's howl as he tore into the ten thousand men army. His face was malevolent among the flying limbs, a picture only achieving completion with the symphony manifested by the agonized victims. The bloodshot eyes seemed to write off anyone they landed on, gone from this world.
The first thing that came to mind was a death god unleashed upon this world to spread suffering and pain.
Chu Qingcheng's heart was twisted up from pain, biting her lip in fear of crying out, even as tears fell from her eyes.
She knew very well that the crazed Zhuo Fan was in incredible pain and grief.
"Look, Huangpu Qingtian is joining!"
At the nameless cry, everyone turned to the imposing and mighty figure charging with relentless force towards Zhuo Fan.
There was not a single person out there who didn't recognize the conceited Heaven-shaking Dragon Lord!
This lifted the moods of everyone at the prospect. The two strongest geniuses of Tianyu were duking it out. Who was going to win? Who was going to be the number one clan in this time's Esoteric Debate. It would soon be made apparent, as dragons collided.
The rules were very clear though, the first to return to Dragon Cloud City was crowned champion. Though everyone knew, the returnees even more so, that it was merely an escape, cowardice.
The title of number one clan of Tianyu rested on the shoulders of these two dragons!
Gulping, every single person was watching the most anticipated battle of the century with hearts in their throat. Xie Tianshang was holding the sword hilt so tight that his hand turned white. His eyes were sparkling while his excitement shot through the roof.
Those two were the objectives he wanted to desperately surpass, but who was the best and strongest of their generation hanged far more heavily on his mind. This battle would settle who was to be his true goal!
"Zhuo Fan!"
Zhuo Fan went nuts in killing anything that moved, going so far under in his bloodlust that he lost focus of his surroundings. It was then that the shout coming from behind pierced his ears. Turning around, he saw Huangpu Qingtian charging and shouted, "Huangpu Qingtian, you will pay with your life!"
Zhuo Fan moved away from those ants and rushed towards Huangpu Qingtian. The purple lightning withdrew into his fist just as he struck.
Huangpu Qingtian roared as well, shining golden and surrounded by nine golden dragons as he met the punch, "Imperial Tyrant Body Art!"
Bam!
The staggering power of the punches smashed together.
A golden light erupted and purple lightning exploded, as the earth caved and sky trembled.
Zhuo Fan and Huangpu Qingtian's fists were now in a deadlock. But the power only grew stronger, roaming along their arms and aiming to settle the stalemate.
Huangpu Qingtian and Zhuo Fan glared at each other, with neither backing out an inch. But the sudden explosion flung both of them backwards for five feet.
The tremendous pressure swept the battlefield. The rampant golden glow along with the berserk purple lightning tore into any poor devil that crossed its path. The fallout alone robbed the lives of two thousand hapless souls, reduced to mangled flesh and adding to this hellscape.
Gasping, the survivors fled as fast as they could.
It went beyond what their feeble minds could possibly comprehend. Just the shock wave reaped through them like death. Not even Profound Heaven experts were spared from such a cruel fate.
They had finally come to realize, on their own skin, what a gulf in power truly meant.
The Profound Heaven experts knew the two of them could kill them with just their thumb. How could heaven allow for such monsters to exist? It went against the natural order!
The ones receiving the full brunt of the shock were in fact Six Dragons and One Phoenix.
They were aware of how the two were leagues above them, but nobody had imagined it would be such a steep cliff separating them.
They had a feeling that not even in the Radiant Stage would they be the two's match.
Xie Tianshang clenched his fists in frustration, but sighed in the end, "Just how am I to surpass these monsters?"
For the first time ever, this martial fanatic actually complained about one's strength. Huangpu Qingtian and Zhuo Fan's display left him utterly powerless.
…
"A stand-off!"
While the rest were awed by the power display, only Jade Flute Divine Sword Fang Qiubai's eyes squinted. They even contained a glint of amazement while looking at Zhuo Fan.
The emperor's intent for Zhuo Fan to harass Huangpu Qingtian came from his council. He had gone to great lengths in informing Zhuo Fan of every aspect of Huangpu Qingtian's traits. That a head on clash was ill-advised and he had to lean on tactics to get the upper hand.
Nonetheless, it did not lower the danger Zhuo Fan had faced in this mission.
Yet at the end of it all, the kid took merely five years to reach the level of monstrosity Huangpu Qingtian turned out to be. Something he had failed to foresee. He could go as far as to say Zhuo Fan was the truest monster of the two.
Just five years ago Zhuo Fan barely defeated Huangpu Qingtian's younger brother, who was far weaker. And here he was now the other brother's equal. It was just too hard to wrap his head around how insane it was. What blew his mind however was the two monsters' one stage gap in cultivation.
So the two may be equal right now, but Zhuo Fan's potential was inhumanly above Huangpu Qingtian's.
It was hard to fathom what the future held for the man.
[In five years, no, just three years, Zhuo Fan may very well be able to wipe the floor with Huangpu Qingtian!]
Such prospects were so ridiculous, even Fang Qiubai had to do a double take.
[It's all so obvious now why the kid was so carefree when accepting this mission. He is confident of victory! As long as he comes out alive from this battle, he will grow into the number one overlord of Tianyu. Not even Regent Estate's thousand year old legacy will be of use then, ha-ha-ha…]
Fang Qiubai sighed.
Leng Wuchang and Huangpu Tianyuan had reached the same dreaded conclusion. Zhuo Fan had now risen to the level of biggest threat on their list. [He must be stopped at all costs!]
[The kid can already cause upheavals, throwing the seven houses into turmoil. If allowed to grow for even a second more, no matter how much power the seven houses bring out, it wouldn't be worth a damn…]
Huangpu Qingtian stopped his skidding, looking at Zhuo Fan in astonishment. He couldn't believe what just happened. One of his peers actually had the power to fight him?
Zhuo Fan had so far been a thorn in his side through his cunning and sinister arts. But this clash proved they were equals. A truth he wasn't ready to accept.
The majestic and royal Regent Estate's eldest young master who had been uncontested all his life had now found his nemesis. Perhaps the one to rob him of his birthright to rule. A deep sense of danger had taken root into his heart.
Something that had never happened before.
It only worked to fuel his thirst for murder as he roared, "Zhuo Fan, today you must die!"
"Huangpu Qingtian, pay with your life!" Zhuo Fan roared back. The lightning crackled as he charged and Huangpu Qingtian did the same.
Boom~
The sky exploded in lightning as the earth was scorched. The two forces of nature in the shape of body cultivators clashed blow by blow. Tearing the world asunder and spreading death. The fallout of every clash was like a bomb, which caught the hapless fools from the vassal clans, reaping their lives in the most agonizing way possible.
[Oi, you two, we aren't collateral damage here, you know!]
[You both have a strong arm to take the punishment, but we are normal people. Show some compassion, will you? And leave us out of it!]
The two were too far gone. Zhuo Fan consumed by vengeance and Huangpu Qingtian consumed by having his status under real threat. They had no time to mind the petty ants, constantly clashing and constantly moving. Two hundred blows later, the two had no scratch on them. Though one couldn't say the same about the unfortunate souls surrounding them.
What was supposed to be an ambush, was now culled by the aftermath of these monsters. The number of casualties tallied to five thousand, at the least. It was a total tragedy, genocide.
You Yushan's group of three was shaking in their boots and sweating like pigs. They looked into each other's eyes.
[Should we… leave?]
If anyone else heard them, they'd be floored.
[What the hell, man? If even the Six Dragons and One Phoenix are scared of the two's fallout, what about us? Are we supposed to sit here and die?]
As the two's fight escalated, it had put the lives of even these three in danger.
The decision was made for them, as the frail balance between the two monsters had slowly tipped.
Huangpu Qingtian's golden dragon claw grabbed at Zhuo Fan's throat. The power behind it made Zhuo Fan flinch and lean away.
Huangpu Qingtian snickered. His attack changed as he struck down. Zhuo Fan felt an immense pressure burying him a meter into the ground.
"He-he-he, die!" With a sinister and gleeful grin, Huangpu Qingtian's claw shot for his throat, "Nine Dragons Diamond Body, Dragon Empowered Claw!"